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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · game · fan · plane · last · cabinet · bay · snap

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. plane — a tool
  3. last — to go on
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. snap — to click
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — wild animals
  15. last — final
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. last — finally
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com